2007 marks the NEP 20th Anniversary!
Estuaries are places where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are critical to the health of coastal environments and to our enjoyment of them.
EPA's National Estuary Program was established by Congress in 1987 to improve the quality of estuaries of national importance. The
Clean Water Act Section 320 directs EPA to develop plans for attaining or
maintaining water quality in an estuary. This includes protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a
balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish, and wildlife, and allows recreational activities, in and on water, requires that
control of point and nonpoint sources of pollution to supplement existing controls of pollution. In several cases, more than one State
is participating in a National Estuary Program. Each program establishes a
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to meet the goals of
Section 320.
EPA’s National Estuary Program is proud of its progress and has had many
successes. The NEPs have succeeded because:
- they focus on the watershed,
- use science to inform decision-making,
- emphasize collaborative problem solving, and
- involve the public.
The successes of the National Estuary Program are largely a result of the programs’ ability to develop long term, sustainable finance strategies.
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Features |
Climate Ready Estuaries
NEP videos
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Announcing the availability of EPA’s 2004-2006 National Estuary Program (NEP) Implementation Report (PDF) (14 pp, 1MB, About PDF).
Announcing the availability of the Final "Indicators Development for Estuaries" manual. Manual presents a logical, stepwise process for developing regional-specific indicators for estuaries.
National Estuary Program-20th Anniversary Fact Sheet (PDF) (8 pp, 5.16MB,
About PDF)
EPA Administrator Johnson speaks at NEP Anniversary event for congressional members during Capitol Hill Oceans Week
View a larger version of the picture.
National Estuary Program Open House Showcases Environmental Successes
A series of Fact Sheets Celebrating the NEP’s 20th Anniversary:
The NEP is Effective (PDF)
(8 pp, 6.2MB, About PDF)
The NEP is Efficient (PDF)
(8 pp, 6.8MB, About PDF)
The NEP is Collaborative (PDF)
(7 pp, 6MB, About PDF)
The NEP is Adaptable (PDF)
(3 pp, 5.3MB, About PDF)
Coastlines Newsletters 1994 - 2003
National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report
National Estuary Program Factsheet
(PDF) (2 pp, 302K, About PDF)
National Estuary Program
Funding Guidance - 2005/2006
Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia
National Coastal Condition Report released January 2005
10 Ways to Protect Estuaries (PDF)
(1 page, 437K, About PDF) |
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